The mall, two companies affiliated with it and six security guards are reportedly named in the suit.

Gerald Thurswell, the Soutfield-based attorney hired by Cochran’s family, said the death could have been avoided.

“We believe his death was caused as a result of being sprayed with pepper spray,” Thurswell said Jan. 30. “After he was sprayed, the guards put him face down, with a knee in his back. You could see (Cochran) yelling, ‘Call 9-1-1, I’m dying,’ in the video that was released. ... (Security guards) said, ‘If you can talk, you can breathe.’ They pushed his chest into the ground so he couldn’t breathe,” he said. “That’s just incredible.”

As investigators continue to look into Cochran's death, police are asking witnesses to step forward. They ask anyone who witnessed the scuffle — or who videotaped the incident — to call investigators at 248-796-5500.